Fire-escape



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. J. MARKEL, PIRE ESCAPE.

No. 580,670. Patented Apr. 13, 1897.

' WITWESSES I JV' VEN TOR g@ .ttorney 2 sheets-sheet v2.

(No Model.)

J. J. MARKBL.

PIRE ESCAPE.

No. 580,670. Patented Apr. 13, 1897.

IW NM WMM,

.Attorney- WITJVESSES ia/ f QW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JACOB J.MARKEL, OF NANKIN, OHIO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 580,670, dated April13,1897.

Appiiciiioii ned october 15,1896. seria naeoaeee. (no moan.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB J. MARKET., a citizen of the United States,residing at Nankin, in the county of Ashland and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to fire-escapes.

My object is to provide an improved lireescape of novel and cheapconstruction which will occupy but small space and be ornamental inappearance and can be made ready for use quickly and easily wheneverdesirable.

Having this object in view, my invention consists of a fire-escape ofnovel and improved construction, as will appear more fully hereinafterin the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a front elevation ofa section of a house equipped with my improved fire-escape, the ladderbeing shown lowered; Fig. 2, a view in cross-section, showing the ladderrolled up and suspended, as ordinarily; and Fig. 3, a bottom perspectiveview of the balcony and trap-door.

The numeral l designates a section of an ordinary house.

At 2 is shown a balcony, which is connected to the house by fasteningdevices 3 and is provided with a guard-rail 4. This balcony is made ofiron and extends across the front of the house underneath the windows ofone story. A separate balcony is employed in connection with each storyof the house, as also a ladder and the other mechanisms to be describedlater on. This balcony is provided with an opening 4a. The numeral 5designates a trap-door which is hingedat its outer end, as at 6, and theinner free end of the door is provided with a catch 7, adapted forengagement with the guardportion of the balcony when the door is raised.

The numerals 8 and 9 designate rings which are secured to the trap-doornear its heel, and 10 and 11 designate locking-rods which are fastenedto these rings.

The numeral 12 represents a lock made of a single rod which has its endsfastened to the bottom of the balcony near the house and is bent intocatches 13 and 14, which are adapted to receive the ends of thelocking-rod.

The numeral 15 represents a chain ladder which has rungs 16. Ordinarilythe ladder is folded, as shown, and the locking-,rods extend underneaththe run gs and have their ends received in the catch-loops, so that theladder is held suspended. When, however, the trapdoor is raised, thelocking-rods are pulled out of the loops and the ladder drops by gravityonto the balcony below, so that the occupants of the premises can passdown the ladder.

It is obvious that many slight and immaterial chan ges of constructionmight be resorted to in carrying out my invention, and hence it is to beunderstood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction hereinshown and described, but consider that I am entitled to all suchvariations as properly come within lthe spirit and scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-escape, the combination with a balcony provided with anopening, of a hinged trap-door adapted to close said opening, a flexibleladder connected to the balcony, a catch, and a locking-rod adapted forengagement with said catch, said rod being adapted to hold the ladderraised and to be operated when the trap-door is removed so that theladder is released.

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with a balcony provided with anopening, of ahinged trap-door adapted to close said opening,locking-rods pivoted to the trap-door, catch-loops connected'to thebalcony, and a flexible ladder connected to the balcony, said ladderbeing normally held in raised position by the locking-rods, and allowedto drop when the locking-rods are pulled out of the catch-loops when thetrap-door is raised.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JACOB Jj MARKEL.

Witnesses:

J. C. SLOAN, E. N. HARvART.

